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La Grotte All Sport climbing 42 routes in sector

  • Grade context: FR
  • Photos: 1
  • Ascents: 96
  • Aka: Main Cave
42
FR
5b+6a6b6c7a7b7c8a8b8c

Seasonality

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Description

Most likely what you came for? This is where all the classic overhanging (and polished) lines can be found.

Probablement ce pour quoi vous êtes venus à Volx? La grotte regorge des lignes deversantes les plus classiques (et patinées) du coin.

Access issues inherited from Volx

No climbing over Christmas as the cave is used by the town for festivities.

Approach

5min from the carpark. At the end of Montée des Capellane. You can't really miss it.

Au bout de la montée de Cappellane. Inmanquable.

Ethic inherited from Volx

Pick up your trash and your dog's poo. Be nice with residents. Avoid bird nestings.

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Contents

Routes

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Grade Route

La Grotte - Left Back to contents

The west part of the cave (left when you face it). Gets the sun until 5PM. Easy access and kids friendly area. Take a 60m rope.

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2
7a+ ★ Generation Ecologie Sport 20m

A boulder move that will make you doubt! (broken hold?)

Set: Laurent Jacob

3
7b+ ★ Safe Sex Sport 20m

A hard move that makes the route more intense.

Set: Laurent Jacob

4
8a ★★ Scandale Sport 20m

Not too steep but lacking holds...

Set: Laurent Jacob

5
8a+ ★ Youpala Sport 15m

A harder variation to Scandale.

Set: Laurent Jacob

6
7c+ ★ Bienvenue au Club Sport 20m

Some reachy moves.

Set: Laurent Jacob

7
7b ★★ Zarbi Sport 20m

Keep some for the end. Big moves on tufas, some crimps and a good rest in-between.

Set: Laurent Jacob

8
6b+ ★★ Hot Spot Sport 18m

A popular warm up to get acquainted with the style of climbing in the cave. Polished.

Set: Laurent Jacob

9
7a ★★ Indulgence Sport 18m

Cruisy with one moderately hard move on an undercling (that you can skip). Well bolted.

Set: Laurent Jacob

10
7b ★★ Traquenard Sport 20m

Start on the left of the boulder (the name of the route is marked under the first bolt). Cruisy until a good rest, followed by a right-trending cruxy sequence.

Set: Laurent Jacob

11
7a+ ★★ Conan le Barbare Sport 20m

Fun. One hard move to the top. Good rests in-between. Polished. Bien lustrée. Crux en haut mais de bons repos pour se refaire si besoin.

Set: Marco Troussier

La Grotte - Center Back to contents

This is the business. Where all the steepest routes are.

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13
7c+ ★★ Le Clow Entre les Dents Sport 20m

Hard...

Set: Marco Troussier

14
8a+ L'Inversé Satanique Sport 20m

A hold has broken. Bouldery. Go straight up into the dihedral.

Set: Marco Troussier

15
7c+ ★★ 20 Ans Apres Sport 20m

Not often repeated despite some great moves.

Set: Laurent Jacob

16
7b+ Oxygene Sport 20m

A must.

Set: Robert Cortijo

17
7c Oxygene Directe Sport 20m

Beautiful route with a fingery section.

18
7c+ ★★★ 100% De Matiere Grasse Sport 20m

Sustained.

Set: Marco Troussier

19
7b ★★ Charles De Goal Sport 15m

Starts on the easy juggy slab leading to a gulley. A steep classic of the cave with a crux guarding the top.

20
7c+ ★ Zovirax Sport 25m

A bit of a core move to start.

Set: Marco Troussier

21
8a+ ★ L'Empire des Sens Sport 25m

Set: Robert Cortijo

22
8b ★★ La Vague Sport 25m

One of the longest lines here.

23
7b+ ★ Spinoza Sport 15m

Explosive start where feet often come off.

Set: Marco Troussier

24
8a ★★ Spinoza Direct Sport 20m

Set: Marco Troussier

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25
7c+ ★★ L'Invitation au Voyage Sport 20m

Almost legendary. Another classic of the cave.

Set: Robert Cortijo

26
7b+ ★★★ Hueco Sport 20m

Very pretty line with a tufa to finish. Some say a bit committing at the top.

Set: Marco Troussier

27
8a ★★ Shaoshing Sport 20m

Hard start and finger. All the best climbers used to try this route.

Set: Marco Troussier

28
8b ★★ Théorème Sport 20m

Two big dynos.

Set: Robert Cortijo

29
8a+ ★ Gradiva Sport 20m
30
7a+ ★ L'Arche de Nausee Sport 20m

Hard sloppers on a left-trending traverse. Hard move to finish.

31
7b La Nausée de l'Arche Sport 20m

Variation of L'Arche de Nausée with a finish straight in the hole.

32
8b ★★ Terminator Sport 20m

Big compact overhang.

Set: Robert Cortijo

33
8c+ ★★★ Le Super Plafond / La Lune dans le Caniveau Sport 20m

FA: JB Tribout, 1994

34
8c ★★★ Le Plafond / Maginot Line Sport 20m

The route that made this place an international venue. In 1989, no 8c had been red pointed yet. French climber Alex Duboc was pretty close from sending but it's the British powerhouse Ben Moon who finally snatched the first ascent.

Ben originally named the route Maginot Line in reference to a French strategic defeat during World War II, when the Germans successfully invaded France by going around the French defence line.

In 1994, JB Tribout frees the extension and names it "La Lune dans le Caniveau" (Now "Super Plafond") which is a ridiculous translation of "Ben Moon" in French ("The moon in the sewer").

Set: Robert Cortijo

FA: Ben Moon, 1989

35
7b+ ★★ Zig Zag Sport 15m

Start on the boulder and step all the way to the left. The tufa leads to the chains.

Set: Marco Troussier

36
7c+ ★★ Zig Zag Extension Sport 25m

Keep going all the way to the top...

37
7c ★★ 0% Matière Grise Sport 15m

A short and intense boulder problem. Better like drop knees.

Set: Marco Troussier

38
8b ★★ Zelig Sport 20m

Careful walking to the start of this one. Complicated and bouldery.

Set: Marco Troussier & Robert Cortijo

39
8b+ ★★ Zelig Crac Bottin Sport 20m
40
6c+ ★ Zorro Sport 20m

Set: Robert Cortijo

La Grotte - Right Back to contents

Some easier routes with a perfect view on the village below.

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42
6a ★ Cajolynn Sport 20m

A popular easy warm up on polished holds.

Set: Reynaud & Delalonde

43
6a+ ★ La Revanche du Cade Sport

A newer addition that is worth a go.

44
6a+ ★★ Siurana Sport 20m

A pebble indicates the start but its marking is gone. A very cool pockety finish.

Set: Reynaud & Delalonde

45
5+ ★ La Clara Sport 20m

Look for a little pebble marked "La Clara" for the start. Nice and safe. Watch for loose rocks, especially if you're belaying.

Set: Robert Vial

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